Osteospermum plant named ‘Sunpix1101’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘Sunpix1101’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; daisy-type inflorescences with light greyed purple-colored ray florets; good garden performance and tolerance to high temperatures.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘SUNPIX1101’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sunpix1101’.

The new Osteospermum plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Odense, Denmark. The objective of the program is to create and develop new Osteospermum plants with compact and uniformly mounded plant habit, freely flowering habit and attractive inflorescence coloration.

The new Osteospermum plant originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in May, 2008 of Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Sunny Amanda’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,522, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 05.30.001, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment in Odense, Denmark in June, 2009.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum plant by terminal cuttings in a controlled greenhouse environment in Odense, Denmark since November, 2009 has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Osteospermum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sunpix1101’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sunpix1101’ as a new and distinct Osteospermum plant:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Daisy-type inflorescences with light greyed purple-colored         ray florets.     -   5. Good garden performance and tolerance to high temperatures.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the female parent, ‘Sunny Amanda’, in ray floret color as plants of ‘Sunny Amanda’ have yellow and white-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ slightly from plants of the male parent selection in ray floret color as plants of the male parent selection have yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the Osteospermum ‘Sunny Serena’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,693. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Odense, Denmark, plants of the new Osteospermum differed from plants of ‘Sunny Serena’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Leaves of plants of the new Osteospermum were more rounded         than and not as long as leaves of plants of ‘Sunny Serena’.     -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum and ‘Sunny Serena’ differed in         ray floret color as plants of ‘Sunny Serena’ had pale         yellow-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Osteospermum plant.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunpix1101’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sunpix1101’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown during the summer in one-gallon containers in an outdoor nursery in Bonsall, Calif. under cultural practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Osteospermum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 27° C. to 35° C. and night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 20° C. Plants were pinched one time and were twelve weeks old when the photographs and description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2007 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Sunpix1101’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Sunny             Amanda’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,522.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 05.30.001,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 days at 18° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 14 days at 18° C. to             20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, summer.—About 20 days at             18° C. to 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting, winter.—About 28 days at             18° C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fibrous; white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Upright, outwardly spreading and             mounding plant habit; inflorescences positioned above and             beyond the foliar plane; moderately vigorous to vigorous             growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 30 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 44 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit             with about 14 primary lateral branches per plant; pinching             enhances branching potential. Length: About 29 cm. Diameter:             About 6 mm. Internode length: About 1.2 cm. Strength:             Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Color: Close to 145B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length:             About 5 cm. Width: About 2.8 cm. Shape: Oblanceolate. Apex:             Broadly acute. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Broadly dentate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly pubescent.             Venation pattern: Pinnate, arcuate. Color: Developing             leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to 146C. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 147A; venation,             close to 147B. Fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close             to 147B; venation, close to 147B. Petiole: Length: About             2 cm. Diameter: About 4 mm. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 146C. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with             oblanceolate-shaped ray florets; inflorescences terminal and             axillary and positioned above and beyond the foliar plane;             disc and ray florets developing acropetally on a capitulum;             inflorescences face mostly upright to outwardly.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 24             inflorescences developing per plant.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Flowering response.—In southern California, plants of the             new Osteospermum flower continuously from early spring to             mid-summer; early flowering habit, plants begin flowering             about six to eight weeks after planting.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences of plants of the new             Osteospermum last about five days on the plant;             inflorescences persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.9 cm. Diameter: About             1.1 cm. Shape: Ovate to lanceolate. Color: Close to 176A to             176B.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.6 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.6 cm. Disc diameter: About 8 mm. Receptacle             diameter: About 9 mm. Receptacle height: About 1.1 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2.5 cm. Width: About 6 mm. Shape:             Oblanceolate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate. Margin:             Entire. Aspect: About 45° from vertical. Texture, upper             surface: Smooth, glabrous; velvety. Texture, lower surface:             Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 15 arranged in a single whorl. Color:             When opening, upper surface: Close to 182B to 182C. When             opening, lower surface: Longitudinal stripes, close to 176B             and 165B to 165C. Fully opened, upper surface: Towards the             apex, close to 185D; mid-section, close to 186D; towards the             base, close to 186C; color does not change with development.             Fully opened, lower surface: Longitudinal stripes, close to             176A, 165C and 177A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular; apex dentate, five-pointed.             Length: About 7 mm. Diameter, apex: About 1.5 mm. Diameter,             base: About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 44. Color, immature: Close to 103A. Color, mature:             Apex: Close to N92A. Mid-section: Close to 95D. Base: Close             to NN155C.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 20 arranged in             a single whorl. Length: About 9 mm. Width: About 2 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acuminate. Base: Truncate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture,             lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to             137A. Color, lower surface: Close to 146A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 8.3 cm. Length,             third peduncle: About 6.3 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Aspect, terminal peduncles: Mostly             upright. Aspect, axillary peduncles: About 30° to 35° from             vertical. Texture: Sparsely pubescent. Color: Close to 146C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color: Close to             NN155D. Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: About 2 mm.             Anther color: Close to 79B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen             color: Close to 167A. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and             disc florets. Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape:             Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to N92A. Style length: About             3 mm. Style color: Close to N88C. Ovary color: Close to             157A.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed on plants of the new Osteospermum. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Osteospermums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind,     high temperatures of about 40° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness     Zone 9. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Osteospermum plant named ‘Sunpix1101’ as illustrated and described. 